U.S. Seeking Use of Funds to Aid Russian Democracy

[Judi Lynn]

Source: Nw York Times

U.S. Seeking Use of Funds to Aid Russian Democracy
By DAVID M. HERSZENHORN
Published: March 15, 2012

MOSCOW — The Obama administration is pushing to free $50 million in long-stalled aid to promote democracy and civil society in Russia, an effort that comes amid a drumbeat of accusations that the United States is meddling in Russia’s internal politics.

The money, held up for years in Congress, represents some of the proceeds from an unusual foreign aid program in which tax dollars were invested in the formerly communist countries of Eastern Europe and Central Asia to help them develop into market economies.

For the most part, the investments turned out to be profitable and the money was reinvested. In recent years some of the proceeds were returned to the Treasury, while some money has been redirected to create foundations that provide foreign aid.

Plans to redirect the $50 million back to Russia have been in the works for more than a year. But in December, Prime Minister Vladimir V. Putin accused American officials of trying to stoke unrest in Russia, and conspiracy rumors about the money have swirled ever since.

Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/16/world/europe/to-aid-russian-democracy-us-seeking-use-of-funds.html?ref=europe

[rocktivity]

1. United States democracy can use some funding, too

rocktivity

[emilyg]

2. We need the money here.

[Agony]

3. “to advance rule of law, to advance accountable government and to strengthen civil society.”

as if we are the experts in any of that...

Fuck Bush, SEED, Reagan, NED, PP Peterson and the horse they rode in on.

[magic59]

4. Money well spent. NOT!

What are we doing that for? Moscow has more millionaires then any other city in the world. Lets keep the money in the USA.

[PufPuf23]

5. The $50 million would be better spent to recover Democracy (actually basic sanity) in the USA

[leveymg]

6. If the Russians tried the same thing here, they'd be arrested for espionage (unless they were AIPAC)

or the Saudis buying up media and corporate influence. Somehow, they seem to be exempt from the Foreign Agents Registration Act, and such. We have the most peculiar multiple standards for foreign influence buying operations.

[Igel]

8. Depends.

On the law and the group's structure and the activity.

"Civil society" has a fairly broad range of meanings. If DU or Greenpeace or some Canadian-American Cultural Association were to money from a Canadian donor, that's a Canadian citizen sponsoring civil society in the US.

I once was marginally involved in organizating a conference on the evolution of US/European Union relations immediately preceding as well as after the fall of the Berlin Wall. It was co-funded with the German Embassy. US government folk and people with an impact on US/European policy making (whether direct or through agitating in academic journals) would be present and participate. That would make it a portion of civil society funded by a foreign government. Hardly illegal. The US embassy decided to support the event by sending some sort of junior vice associate official 3rd grade.

It wouldn't be espionage, in any event. Sedition, perhaps, but not espionage.

BTW, after 9/11 there were Saudi-sponsored public service spots bought up in the US media.

[leveymg]

9. Int'l Republican Inst. and Nat'l Democratic Inst. are semi-official US agencies

run (although this is denied) by the two major political parties and primarily funded (acknowledged) through the US State Dept.

Believe me, if there were similar foreign entities run by the ruling political parties of Russia, PRC or Iran funding political activities inside the U.S. that impacted US elections, that would be at minimum treated as a major violation of the federal election laws. Furthermore, if (like AIPAC) they were not registered as Foreign Agents, they would be treated as foreign subversion and foreign espionage entities. The FBI doesn't distinguish much in its methods of targeted investigation between the two types of activities.

As it is, AIPAC gets a "Get Out of Jail Free" card every time they get caught in a blatant act of espionage (the OSP-AIPAC espionage case, which was all about an AIPAC agent (an AF Col. working in Feith's Office of Special Plans) planting phony Iran WMD evidence in Pentagon files, for instance), and the Saudis do their own propaganda and election funding schemes through American corporate proxies they control, such as Rupert Murdoch's NewsCorp and numerous high US and UK officials, (Bush and Blair, many others) who have been bribed, bought off or careers advanced using the BAE-Yamamah slush fund and similar black funds used by various elements of the Royal Family and the intelligence agencies they control.

As I said, multiple standards for such things, about which most Americans are gleefully ignorant because the primary MSM is owned or controlled or influenced by the same foreign elements.

[Xolodno]

7. Way to go!!!!

Just as Moscow always believed the United States would attack them first during the Cold War, believed that the United States was intentionally meddling in the former Soviet Republics in order to keep them weak....

The good 'ole US of A gives them even more reason for them to distrust. Good Job!